Start A Program

Become part of the Compeer Family.

How to start a compeer program

Compeer’s goal is to provide friendship relationships to an increasing number of children and adults across the U.S. and around the world being treated for mental illness or emotional issues. Please consider starting a Compeer program in your area. Compeer staff can help you every step of the way.

Form a task force of people you know (and people they know) who can identify potential advisory committee members with experience in mental health, program funding, advisory committee members with experience in mental health services.The task force is temporary and can disband once an advisory committee has been established. Task force members can become advisory committee members or service as consultants for future efforts. If you have acquired an organization/agency as a sponsor for the Compeer program, members of their board of directors may form a subcommittee to serve as a Compeer advisory committee.

Invite persons identified by your task force to serve on an advisory committee. Provide job responsibilities and team requirements for committee members. Individuals are more inclined to accept an advisory member position if they know expectations up front. Once established, the committee will draft a plan, timeline, budget, and identify resources to support plan, especially in the area of funding.

Interested community leaders are essential to the successful management of the Compeer program. They provide guidance to Compeer staff, assist in securing funding, recruiting volunteers and generating community awareness and acceptance for Compeer.

Programs are required to have a minimum starting budget of $40,000, 25 percent of which can be in-kind gifts such as staff, printing and materials, possibly telephone, travel, postage and other operating expenses. Compeer encourages a minimum staff of at least 19 hours part-time initially Plans for full-time staff should be in place for a program to grow and develop.

Funding sources can include foundations; civic, corporate, churches, and private contributors; United Way contributions; community support programs/services; fund-raising events; a sponsoring agency; and government agencies. Most importantly, program survival depends upon a diversified funding base.

Some groups may decide to form their own non-profit corporation to make Compeer an independent agency. Others are sponsored by mental health associations, community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, transitional living facilities, coalitions of churches, or chapters of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Your advisory committee can help develop the proposal. Compeer staff can provide guidance, information and support which it has compiled from years of experience. To ensure quality programs, Compeer requires that all proposals include the following:

Cover letter of intent stating why you/your organization wants to being a Compeer program

Budget of itemized revenues to sustain program for 3 years, itemized expenditures (including insurance-coverage in property, crime, general liability, professional liability, auto and directors and officers)

Programs are required to have a minimum yearly starting budget of $40,000.00, plus fringe benefits

Compeer’s president and/or board chair reviews each proposal. Upon approval, you will receive a licensing agreement, which should be returned with a start-up fee of $1,800. The new location agrees to maintain Compeer’s quality standards and to follow the Compeer process. The agreement authorizes use of the Compeer name, logo and materials for one year. For expansions of existing locations, the start-up fee is waived and only annual dues are required. One year after singing the service mark, Compeer locations need to submit an annual membership fee of $500 (U.S.D.)

Compeer staff members are always available for assistance, and they will contact you by phone for a quarterly review to respond to your particular program needs. At 18 months from having executed the service mark, programs must submit a written update addressing each area outlined in your initial proposal, and goals for the upcoming year.

Compeer also provides an operations manual, ongoing technical assistance and support, a quarterly newsletter, and regularly distributes materials on volunteer recruitment, evaluation, public relations and fundraising. In addition, Compeer offers on-site consultations and training opportunities, both individualized and group.

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We’re very proud to have been awarded a $1.8M federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Twelve of our affiliates, in 5 states, are working hard on implementing this initiative to better serve at-risk youth within our communities. Johanna and Cynthia headed to Washington, D.C. this week for training on federal grant administration. … See MoreSee Less